Towel bar construction



Sept. 2, 1969 P. K. HEXTER 3,464,568

TOWEL BAR CONSTRUCT ION Filed Aug. 22, 1967 M/VENTOR PETER K. HEXTER A T TOR VEYS United States Patent 3,464,568 TOWEL BAR CONSTRUCTION Peter K. Hexter, R0. Box 260, Hopewell, NJ.

Filed Aug. 22, 1967, Ser. No. 662,439 Int. Cl. A47h 1/08, 7/14, N US. Cl. 211-1056 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of invention It is usual practice to install a towel bar in a bathroom or elsewhere by means of ceramic, metal or other supports which are fixedly mounted in a wall. However, in the event the towel bar should be broken, chipped or damaged in any way it is not possible to insert a substitute towel bar into such supports without removing the supports themselves and if the supports are formed of colored ceramic material it is practically impossible to remove them without breakage whereas the matching of the colors of ceramic supports with surrounding tile can seldom be accomplished.

While it has been suggested that replacement towel bars might be provided with yieldable inserts in the end thereof, such as those used to support a roll of toilet paper, such towel bar assemblies are movable endwise with the result that the bar frequently is displaced and may fall from the supports.

Summary of invention In accordance with the present invention a replacement towel bar assembly is provided which is simple and economical to produce and is adapted to be readily inserted into fixedly mounted towel bar supports. Moreover the construction is such that the towel bar, after insertion into the supports, is not shiftable longitudinally or removable from the supports. Furthermore the construction is neat and attractive in appearance and will not be visibly different from the original installation.

These results are preferably attained by providing a replacement towel bar which is at least substantially equal in length to the distance between the existing supports and has a compressible spring device mounted in the end of the bar and including a yieldable positioning element located in a fixed position with respect to the bar and projecting therefrom so as to be received in the towel bar recess in the support to position the bar and hold it securely in place with respect to the supports.

Description of drawings FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a replacement towel bar assembly embodying the present invention with portions thereof broken away.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating an alternative application of the present invention, and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view Patented Sept. 2, 1969 ice through a compressible spring device of the type used in the assemblies of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Description of preferred embodiments In that form of the invention chosen for purposes of illustration the replacement towel bar assembly is designed to be applied to towel bar supports 2 and 4 which may be of ceramic or any other type fixedly mounted on a wall. As shown the supports 2 and 4 are each provided with a base 6 and a projecting holder portion 8 in which are provided recesses 10 which face toward each other and originally receive and support a towel bar. Such constructions are of course, old and of a conventional type and are here shown for the purpose of indicating typical towel bar supports to which the replacement assembly may be applied in the event the original towel bar should be broken, damaged or removed for any purpose.

The replacement assembly of the present invention embodies a towel bar 12 which may for example be in the form of a member of square or round cross section corresponding to and smaller than the cross section of the recesses 10 in the supports 2 and 4 so that one or both ends of the towel bar may extend into the recesses 10. The towel bar 12 is preferably tubular in form or may be otherwise formed so that at least one end of the bar presents a cavity 14 in the end thereof adapted to receive a compressible spring device 16 such as that shown in section in FIG. 3.

The spring device 16 embodies a mounting member 18 which telescopically receives a positioning member 20. The opposite outer ends of the members 18 and 20 are preferably closed and serve to house a coiled spring element 22. It is particularly desirable to form the members 18 and 20 with interengaging means which serve to prevent separation of the members and maintain the coiled spring element 22 under compression when the members are assembled. For this purpose the mounting member 18 may be provided at the inner end thereof with an inwardly projecting rib or shoulder 24 adapted to engage an outwardly extending rib or projection 26 on the inner end of the positioning member 20. These members may be formed of plastic, metal or other material which is compressible or deformable so that after the insertion of the coiled spring element into the tubular positioning member 20, the members may be forced together into telescoped relation wherein the spring 22 will be held under compression. When thus forced together the projecting rib 26 on the positioning member will be pushed past the rib 24 on the mounting member 18 and at the same time spring 22 will be compressed. Thereafter the projection and rib will serve to prevent separation of the members 18 and 20 and will hold the spring 22 under continuous compression tending to urge the positioning member 20 outward with respect to the mounting member 18.

The resulting device 16, consisting of the assembled members 18 and 20 with the spring element 22 compressed therebetween, forms a unit, as shown in FIG. 3. This unit is capable of easy handling so as to permit insertion of the positioning member 18 thereof into the cavity 14 in the end of the towel bar 12 without difficult manipulation of the various parts of the assembly.

In order to locate the unit 16 in a predetermined position within the cavity 14 of the replacement towel bar 12, the mounting member 18 is preferably provided with an outwardly projecting flange 30 which is engageable with and overlies the end 32 of the towel bar 12. The

flange 30 serves to prevent longitudinal displacement of the device 16 too far into the cavity 14 in a tubular towel bar whereby the spring pressed positioning member 20 will be caused to project a predetermined distance beyond the end 32 of the towel bar 12which distance preferably is greater than the depth of the recess in either of the supports 2 or 4. The flange 30 preferably also is rectangular in shape or otherwise formed to correspond to the shape in cross section of the recess 10 and is capable of fitting within the recess with its peripheral edges engaging the sides of the recess. The flange 30 therefore also serves to prevent transverse movement or rattling of the end 32 of the towel bar within the recess 10.

When properly positioned within the cavity 14 in the end of towel bar 12 the positioning member yieldably projects beyond the end 32 of the bar and preferably projects outward therefrom a distance exceeding the depth of the recess 10 in the support 2 or 4. When thus constructed insertion of the positioning member 20 into the recess 10 of a support to a point wherein the periph eral edges of the flange of unit 16 engage the sidewalls of the recess 10, the projecting positioning member 20 will be forced inward tofurther compress the spring element 22 within the device 16. As a result the end of the towel bar will be centered within the recess 10 and held against either longitudinal or transverse movement with respect to the support.

When replacing a towel bar with the assembly of the present invention, the towel bar may have a single device 16 located in one end only of the towel bar as shown in FIG. 1, and the opposite end 34 of the towel bar 12 may be inserted into the recess 10 in the other support between which the assembly is to be mounted. However, as shown in FIG. 2, it is generally preferable to insert a compressible spring device 16 into each end of the towel bar so as to center and hold the towel bar 12 with the opposite ends 32 and 34 thereof securely positioned with respect to the supports 2 and 4. When a single device 16 is used as shown in FIG. 1 the length of the towel bar 12 should not exceed the distance be tween the supports 2 and 4 plus the depth of one of the recesses 10 therein, whereas when using the assembly as shown in FIG. 2 the length of the towel bar should be approximately equal to the distance between the inner surfaces of the supports 2 and 4.

In applying the assembly of FIG. 1 to the supports 2 and 4 the end 34 of the towel bar 12 is inserted into the recess 10 which faces inwardly of the support 4. Thereafter the end 32 of the towel bar 12, with the unit 16 positioned in the cavity 14 therein and with the flange 30 engaging the end 32, is moved into position adjacent the support 2. The spring pressed projected positioning member 20 of the unit is then pressed inward until the outer end of member 20 is substantially flush with the flange 30 on the mounting member 18. Thereafter the end 32 of the towel bar 12 is moved into alignment with the recess 10 in the support 2 whereupon the positioning member 20 will spring outward to its projected position under the action of the coiled spring element 22. The towel bar 12 will then be securely and permanently mounted between the fixed supports 2 and 4 and cannot be removed therefrom since the positioning member 18 is completely housed within the recess 10 of the support 2 and is not accessible for displacement or removal of the towel bar. Moreover since the projecting portion of the positioning member 18 is then in engagement with the base of the recess 10 in support 2, the towel bar 12 is securely mounted in place and all looseness and tendency for the towel bar to rattle about within either support is eliminated. It will further be noted that the towel bar 12 is held against endwise movement since the end 34 of the bar is in engagement with the base of the recess 10 in support 4 while the flange 30 of the mounting member 18 of the device 16 engages the sides of the recess 10 therein. As a result the replacement assembly is securely mounted in place and will present the appearance and advantages of the original installation.

When using the assembly of FIG. 2 wherein compressible spring devices 16 are located in the cavities 14 at opposite ends of the towel bar 12, the assembly is easily installed by inserting the positioning member 20 projecting from the end 32 of the towel bar into the recess 10 in the support 2.

The towel bar is then moved lengthwise to depress the projecting member 20 until the flange 30 of the unit 16 engages the sides of the recess 10 in the support 2. The opposite end 34 of the towel bar is then moved intoalignment with the recess 10 in the fixed support 4 while holding the projecting positioning member 20 at that end of the bar depressed. Finally when the end 34 of the towel bar 12 is brought into alignment with the recess 10 in support 4 the positioning member 20 will spring outward under the action of its coiled spring element 22 until it engages the base of the recess 10 in support 4, while the peripheral edges of the flange 30 will engage the sides of the recess 10 in support 4.

In this way it is possible to replace a towel bar in fixedly mounted supports and in such a way as to assure positive and permanent mounting thereof in a properly centered, neat and firm position with a minimum expenditure of time and labor.

While the invention has been shown and described above with reference to particular and preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that the various elements of the assembly are capable of numerous changes in form, construction and arrangement. In view thereof it should be understood that the particular form of the invention illustrated and described are intended to be illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A towel bar assembly for use in replacing a towel bar in fixedly mounted towel bar supports positioned a predetermined distance apart and having inwardly facing towel bar receiving recesses therein which are of a predetermined depth and shape in cross section, said assembly comprising a towel bar of a size and shape in cross section smaller than that of said recesses and having a length approximately equal to the predetermined distance between said supports and not exceeding such predetermined distance plus the depth of the recess in one of said supports, said towel bar having a cavity in one end thereof and a compressible spring device located in said cavity, said spring device including a mounting member closely fitting said cavity, a positioning member slidably fitting within said mounting member, and a coiled spring element enclosed between said members and bearing against the opposite outer ends of said members, said positioning member projecting outward beyond the outer end of said mounting member and the adjacent end of the towel bar for insertion into the recess in one of the fixedly mounted towel bar supports, the mounting member and the positioning member of said compressible spring device being provided with interengaging means preventing separation of said members and serving to hold said coiled spring element under compression.

2. A towel bar assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the mounting member of said compressible spring device is provided with a flange projecting outwardly near the inner end thereof into position to engage the adjacent end of the towel bar to hold said compressible spring device in a fixed position with respect to said towel bar.

3. A towel bar assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the positioning member of said compressible spring device is compressed upon insertion thereof into a recess of a fixed towel bar support.

4. A towel bar assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein one of the members of said compressible spring device has means projecting outward therefrom into position to engage the side walls of said recess to prevent lateral displacement of the end of said towel bar with respect to said support.

5. A towel bar assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said towel bar has a cavity in each of the opposite ends thereof and has one of said compressible spring devices located in each of said cavities.

6. A towel bar assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein the mounting members of the compressible spring devices in the opposite ends of said towel bar have flanges projecting outwardly therefrom and presenting peripheral edges shaped to correspond to the shape in cross section of the recesses in said supports so as to engage the side walls of said recesses and prevent lateral displacement of the ends of said towel bar with respect to said supports.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner ABRAHAM FRANKEL, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

